Speechless
by gunner brat
Summary: He would never speak again.


Challenge info:

This is for QLFC.

Team:Appleby Arrows

Position:Seeker

Round: 5

Prompt:Use popular fannon word:Attractive

It wasn't supposed to end this way but it did. It was difficult to accept the grim truth in front of him but he knew it was true. This wasn't a false alarm. Albus looked up from his desk and wondered what he could do. There was very little that could be done now. What was done was done and Albus couldn't turn back the clock- try as he might. He took a deep breath and wondered exactly what he could do now. Minerva would hang this over his head if she didn't kill him first.

He knew of the antagonistic relation between Lily and Petunia but he thought she'd at least try to care for him better. It wasn't as if she wasn't compensated for it. She wanted to go to Hogwarts herself and it was unfathomable to him that she would go so far in harming Harry. A little discipline did wonders for a wild child but by all reports from Arabella Figg she went too far. It seemed harsh to her but he wanted to believe the best and that she wouldn't do anything so lived with a strict military man father and so it seemed minor. She was just being a proper parent. It was not like he knew she would cripple him.  
The office door opened and he looked up to see Hagrid. A small boy was behind him. Bird nest hair and gorgeous green eyes looked at him in fear. Harry swallowed and went behind the half-giant. Hagrid glared at him weakly as if confused about being angry at the horrid care or cheerful so the boy didn't sense the doubt that had slowly grown since Harry came to the hospital wing. The boy was found unconscious on the 'crazy cat ladies' doorstep. Arabella used floo to bring him to Hogwarts and Poppy looked the boy over.

She wasn't used to patients younger than eleven, but she did her best, and from the icy silence and glare at him- he knew it was serious. She cast a sleeping charm on him after the check up and some food before she pulled him by force into her office. He could only stare at the ground as he waited for the verdict of what had happened. It was a long fifteen minutes until Albus looked up and the fearsome healer was still glaring at him. Eventually the silence filled the room and Albus refused to be the one to speak first.

"He'll never be able to speak again and his ability to channel magic has been greatly reduced. He won't be able to cast above OWL level power spells if he can use magic at all. I can heal the scars but he will never be attractive with that knife wound" Poppy told him.

"But how can that be? I know they weren't perfect parents but surely they wouldn't ruin him like this." Albus hung his head as he whispered.

"From my scans they tried to beat him out of being able to use magic but they only reduced his capacity to channel it safely. He'd be in pain if he tried to cast any powerful spells."

"I was talking about him losing his voice." Albus spoke as he sat down unable to stand longer.

"He had a throat infection that wasn't treated and it got infected ruining his vocal cords. If he was taken to the hospital in time and treated then he would be fine." Poppy said.

"I don't get how Petunia could do that to her own nephew…" Albus gulped unable to fathom what the sleeping child endured after James and Lily died.

"I remember Minerva say that they were the worst sort. We'll talk about what will happen because of this but- we need to know what to do. I won't allow Harry Potter be returned to the people that made him mute." Poppy told him.

"Magic is possible without speaking but it's difficult to learn it and we aren't equipped to deal with a mute child." Albus looked at Poppy as she nodded looking deep in thought.

"He will need to go to muggle school to learn… what is it called? Sign language- and we might be able to help him cast up to NEWT spells if we start now. He will need to get healthy before we do though." Poppy told him.

"How will he go to Hogwarts if he can't speak though?" Albus mused out loud.

"With enough training he should do fine. He's not the first… disable student we've ever had but… is Hogwarts really the best option now?" Poppy asked him.  
"He will have to be taught and then given a choice. Smaller day schools might be able to help him better." Albus said.

"I told Minerva about it and I expect Hagrid would have confirmed it as well. You had best be prepared her her to come into your office, Albus." Poppy told him.

"I had hoped to put telling off Minerva until it was summer." Albus told her.

"Considering that she was the one who was in the office when your ward was set off I don't think anything could stop her." Poppy told him.

"I deserve what she's going to say, won't I?" Albus asked.

Poppy laughed at that comment, "I would think so, Albus. We all trusted you when you decided to give Harry to those two horrid people. I don't think you knew that this would happen but it did. I hope you know that whatever happens now is on your head."

"I take full blame for this. Send Harry up with Hagrid when he wakes up and gets a clean bill of health.I want to talk to him." Albus told her before leaving the office and a few weeks had passed. The boy was in front of him and for once he had no words. Black and blue wasn't attractive on him when Minerva got through with him but she would be right to ream him out for this mistake.


End file.
